


Ready As I'll Ever Be

by SkylerMonez45



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: M/M, Of Crowns and Thorns AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-11 01:26:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15304389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkylerMonez45/pseuds/SkylerMonez45
Summary: Off in the far away kingdom of Summerstall, there lives a king named Thomas. The kingdom is relatively happy which is mostly due to the efforts of King Thomas and his four closest friends. Roman, a peasant turned knight who secretly dreams of becoming a prince, Logan, Thomas' advisor who has been with him since Thomas was a child, Patton, a clumsy chamberlain who has the best emotional advice in the kingdom, and Virgil, Roman's childhood friend who works in the stables. All is happy until an unknown yellow-eyed threat begins to wreak havoc by corrupting Roman. It's up to the others to attempt to stop him.Based on the story from the YouTube video [Ready As I'll Ever Be] - Sanders Sides AnimaticBased on the song from Tangled: The Series





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [[Ready As I'll Ever Be] - Sanders Side Animatic](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/398019) by thepastelpeach. 



> The overall plot is not mine. It comes from the amazing animatic [Ready As I'll Ever Be] by thepastelpeach on YouTube.I urge you to go watch it because it is super good. And yes the video is where this fanfiction will eventually get to.  
> Characters of Thomas, Roman, Patton, Virgil, Logan, and Deceit are not mine, they belong to Thomas Sanders

_"You're never gonna guess who I saw today!"_

_Virgil looked up as he watched his best friend run towards him. Roman ran with such skill and ease through the path of tree roots, leaves, and sticks that Virgil briefly wondered whether there was some sort of magic involved. It was only for a brief second though as he was used to Roman's insane athletic ability. He'd always been the fastest, the strongest, the best at sword fighting, it was all there. However, it wasn't from lack of training. Virgil had spent many a days and nights sitting under a tree reading while Roman practiced with a sword he'd made from a stick or did pull-ups on the tree branches._

_"A person," Virgil guessed with a smirk as Roman reached him. That was not the response Roman had been looking for which caused to teen to roll his eyes in exasperation. It wasn't that he wasn't used to this kind of answers. Virgil had been giving infuriatingly sarcastic answers since the first day he'd met him back when they were only ten years old. Of course back then, Roman hadn't been so good-natured towards them. Their teacher might have had to pull the two kicking boys apart._

_"I saw King Thomas!" Roman said with a huge grin. The smile on his face and light in his eyes was too much for even Virgil to make fun of so he just gave Roman his best half smile, half smirk. That was really the closest anyone was ever gonna get to a smile out of him so Roman was very satisfied._

_Roman had been obsessed with King Thomas since he was nine years old, right around the time that Thomas' parents had died and Prince Thomas became king. As a child, he'd always dreamed of being royalty. Having servants to wait on you, having people who loved and adored you, always being safe and happy, it was a good fantasy. The fantasy often came to him when he was doing his chores at the orphanage. It was hard to imagine being a prince though when you were cleaning peas off of dinner plates._

_His obsession had led to his increased athletic ability as Roman decided early on that the closest he was ever gonna get to being or even meeting royalty was becoming a knight. So he trained endlessly. After sixteen, the orphanage didn't seem to care where any of the kids were so Roman dragged Virgil out every day to help him train. Helping him train really just meant sitting there so Roman could talk and not look crazy. His favorite topic was the future, how Roman would become a knight and he'd take Virgil with him and they'd go on all sorts of adventures. Whenever Virgil pointed out he didn't like adventures and would much rather stay home where it was safe, Roman brushed him off by stating that he would do the dangerous work while Virgil just watched so as to provide inspiration for the many songs that would be written in his honor. It was a fun fantasy to think about though not very logical._

 

"Verge, you okay?" came the comforting voice of Patton. Virgil looked up and realized that Thomas, Roman, Patton, and Logan were all looking at him. Despite the four of them being his closest friend, he still felt anxiety as he saw all their eyes on him. It would be one thing if they had all just been hanging out in one of the many common rooms of the castle, but this was an official meeting and he felt silly at having gotten lost in memories during it. 

"I'm fine, just started to daydream," Virgil told them, noticing Roman especially keep his gaze on him. Virgil sent him a clear look that said  **It's nothing** **.** Roman nodded slightly, not as concerned as he had been. 

"Try not to daydream during an important meeting," Logan said with a scolding sort of tone. "There are only such a few times that we can all get together." Once Virgil had nodded, the previous topic of conversation presumed. Virgil hadn't really been listening before he'd began to daydream and he wasn't gonna start now. 

After four years, Virgil still couldn't believe that he was a close, personal friend of King Thomas as well as a member of his official council. He hadn't believed it, even more, when the young king had knocked on the door to the orphanage several years ago and requested to talk to Roman. Within the hour of Roman being called down to talk to the king, he'd ran back upstairs, practically glowing. Roman was going to be trained as part of the king's royal guard. Apparently, King Thomas had been watching Roman whenever he was training, usually through the use of his advisor Logan or his chamberlain Patton. That last day though was when Thomas himself had gone to see the insistent boy. Upon seeing his dedication, Thomas had immediately decided to let Roman train in his guard. 

Virgil could still remember how happy Roman had looked as he began packing up the small amounts of clothes he had, and how upset Virgil himself had been. Roman was the only one who knew about how anxious or upset he got at times and was also the only one who could help him calm down. Roman kept the bullies away that Virgil attracted with his dark clothes and sharp tongue. Without Roman, Virgil was sure to be found in the gutter with a broken leg in a week. That wasn't how it turned out though as in between his packing Roman had glanced up and said, "Well come on then, your bag isn't gonna pack itself."

Virgil had stared at him for a few seconds, confused. An exasperated sigh came from Roman who ceased his packing. "You know for someone who reads a lot you really aren't that smart. You're coming with me. I'm not gonna leave you by yourself." And with that, Virgil found himself thrust into his life as a stablehand. It wasn't that bad once you got over the smell. 

"Meeting dismissed," Thomas called out. They all stood as he did, waiting for the king to leave the room. It was odd how they all changed as the types of meetings changed. That night, the five of them were meeting up to hang out in one of the private rooms of the castle where there would be jokes, teasing, and lots of silly nicknames. The thought of anyone (other than Patton) doing any of those in a formal meeting like this though was unheard of. 

Roman and Virgil left the meeting together, walking down the grand corridor towards the stables. They passed many servants though none of them gave the pair a sideways glance. It was a common thing to see the Captain of the Guard dressed almost as finely as the king in bright reds, brilliant whites, and shining golds, talking to, joking with, and teasingly insulting, the stablehand who preferred an outfit of black with a purple cloak. That was just how the castle was. At first, there had been clear confusion but after four years people had gotten used to it, just as they had gotten used to the fact that Logan and Patton were pretty obviously into each other. It was just how the reign of King Thomas worked.

"What was that meeting about?" Virgil asked him quietly. "I sort of got lost in my head."

"Crops. It was boring so only Logan had anything to say," Roman told him. "Anything bad in your head?" He cast a worried look over at his best friend, hoping that he hadn't gotten too deep into his mind. It happened on occasion and the results were not always pretty. Virgil shook his head though. 

"Just thinking about that day Thomas came to the orphanage," Virgil said. "Well really, that afternoon in the forest beforehand." Roman grinned at the memory. That was the best day of his life. He had been granted an amazing opportunity to go out and become a knight with his best friend at his side. Who could ask for more?

"It was just a lot more simple back then. I mean, I'm glad we got here and I'm glad you're a knight and that we met Logan, and Patton, and Thomas, but it-it was just more simple," Virgil was saying with a sigh.

He sort of missed the days when it had just been him and Roman out all day, talking about the future. If Virgil was being honest, the thing that had really been on his mind is that it was the future now. Roman had moved up, became Captain, fulfilled his dream of royalty as much as he could. And Virgil was still a stablehand and would probably continue to be a stablehand. It was the idea that this was it for him, for the rest of his life, that was really getting him down. 

"But it's better now though," Roman insisted. "I mean, we were just in the council meeting for the king! We're as far up as we could go!" Roman's words were true, for him. He'd never really thought that Virgil would want anything else other than a job, some friends, and a nice fire at night. That's what he'd always said he wanted anyway. "It is better, right?"

Virgil didn't want to get into whatever the heck he was thinking right now so he simply nodded his head. Talking about it would lead to Roman worrying which would lead to him telling Patton which would lead to Patton blurting it out to Logan on one of their "hangouts which were obviously dates but they refuse to them that because they're idiots" which would eventually lead to Virgil being confronted by the three of them plus Thomas. That did not sound that welcoming to Virgil so he simply told Roman, "Yes, it's better. Now, don't you have to go into town or something?"

"Right! I've gotta get a new sword plus I wanted to go into the woods for a bit," Roman said. "Maybe find some flowers." Despite the awful stereotype that flowers were a "girly" thing, Roman had always loved them. He could spend hours looking for a specific kind and the only times Virgil had ever seen him read a book was to research what type of flower he'd found. Luckily, being Captain of the Royal Guard and a close friend of the king's meant that people didn't really seem to mind what you liked. 

After another reassuring look, Virgil watched Roman run off down the hall in order to get out and back to the castle before sunset. There was a strange feeling in the air that made Virgil shiver despite the sun coming in through the windows. He brushed it off but something felt off, felt wrong. But that couldn't be true, what could possibly go wrong with King Thomas on the throne?

 

 


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil tries to work through his feelings of unusefulness while remembering when he became part of the king's council.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The overall plot is not mine. It comes from the amazing animatic [Ready As I'll Ever Be] by thepastelpeach on YouTube.I urge you to go watch it because it is super good. And yes the video is where this fanfiction will eventually get to.  
> Characters of Thomas, Roman, Patton, Virgil, Logan, and Deceit are not mine, they belong to Thomas Sanders

After watching Roman run down the hall, Virgil made his way to the stables. Along the way, he passed a mirror and almost flinched back when he saw his reflection. He'd always been naturally pale, but right now he was bordering on translucent. Virgil wasn't sure why but he thought it had something to do with the fact that many nights were spent reminiscing or in the library trying to read up on whatever they'd discussed at that day's meeting. 

It was odd, him being apart of the council since he was just really a stablehand. Not to Thomas though. Thomas had dismissed all the old advisors when he became king and brought in new ones, starting with Logan. Patton joined quickly after and then Roman and Virgil. Originally, Virgil had just been there because Roman was slightly nervous about his first meeting after becoming Captain. 

_"You're gonna be fine, Roman," Virgil told his friend as they walked to the meeting place for the council. Roman had been fretting about everything, his hair, his clothes, the way he sounded. His first meeting as Captain was causing him to stress out more than Virgil which was saying something._

_"You don't know that. What if I mess up?" Roman asked him, fixing his hair for the thousandth time. Virgil stopped his friend, putting Roman's hands down at his sides then placing his own hands on Roman's shoulders._

_"Breathe in for four seconds," Virgil told Roman. It was the same breathing technique he used when he was feeling a bit overwhelmed. "Hold it for seven seconds." Roman did so, visably calming down. "Breathe out for eight seconds."  Roman let a deep breath out, smiling slightly now._

_"You ready now?" Virgil asked him, nodding to the door just a few feet away._

_"Ready as I'll ever be."_

Virgil smiled slightly at the memory though to anyone looking at him it was just a grimace. The meeting had gone fine with Virgil waiting patiently and drowning everyone out. That was until the subject of taxes came up. 

_"Your Majesty, I know you hate it, but we do need to establish higher taxes," Logan told the king. Thomas sighed, looking at the papers and maps they had before him. It had been a busy week with Roman being named Captain of the Guard so this was the first time he'd been able to get all the advisors together._

_"We're only taxing the rich then," Thomas said firmly. "I won't take money from people who can barely afford to feed themselves." Logan nodded as he guestured over towards Patton to pull out a map._

_Virgil was watching with some interest from where he sat next to Roman. No one had given him any mind and Roman seemed to be doing just fine. Virgil was sure he'd probably be able to sneak out and no one would even notice. Still he stayed because he knew how important this was to Roman despite the fact that he was getting anxious from sitting in the room with the king. It wasn't only  Roman that made him stay though. Virgil wanted to know about taxes and which people they would tax. He'd watched the poor get taxed. Even if it was only a little bit, it still made things hard for them._

_"We could try taxing the area of Greensdale," Logan recommended. "The land belongs to a bunch of rich people who won't notice it's gone."_

_"And maybe me and Logan could visit and look around to make sure everything's going okay!" Patton said with a huge smile._

_Thomas looked slightly confused at Patton's want to actually go there so he did what he always did when he was confused, look towards Logan. While most humans were a complete mystery to Logan, Patton was the rare exception. The two spent a lot of time together and no one would be surprised if they suddenly started holding hands or kissing one day._

_"There is a famous store there that has a plethora of dogs and cats," Logan explained causing Thomas to knowingly nod his head. "It would be quite enjoyable I suppose if you could send us out there." Patton clapped and sent Logan a huge smile._

_"So we'll send people out to tax the residents of Greensdale then?" Roman asked causing Virgil to jerk his head up and tune in even more._

_"You shouldn't do that!" he said loudly causing the four people to look at him. Virgil instantly felt anxiety bubble up in his stomach and wished he could take the words back. "I mean-it's just. Rich people aren't the residents there."_

_Logan looked ready to speak, maybe to contradict him, but Thomas held out a hand and guestured for Virgil to continue._

_Virgil's mouth felt try as he looked at each of them with slightly wide eyes. Thomas looked gueninely curious about what he had to say and from what Virgil knew of him, Thomas probably wouldn'y throw him in the dungeons if he couldn't give a good enough explanation. Logan was slightly offended that someone would dare try and rebute one of his idea, that wasn't comforting. Patton was smiling (he was always smiling) but encouragingly this time. And Roman locked eyes with Virgil and nodded slightly as if to tell him it was okay to speak._

_"The-the land is owned by rich people. The people who-who live there are poor, like really poor. The rich 'allow' them to live there in exchange for labor. It's not fair though because the poor aren't paid well at all. They barely have enough to maintain the little shacks they have," Virgil said, growing more confident as he spoke. There was still nervousness and he wouldn't like to talk anymore at this meeting, but he hadn't passed out so that was a start._

_"If this is true, how do we tax the rich without taking money from the poor?" Thomas asked, still looking at Virgil as if he would have the answer. Virgil shrugged, knowing that taxing Greensdale was a problem but not knowing the solution._

_"We could just take the money out of their accounts," Patton suggested. "They have so much they can't keep a count of it." Logan sent him a look, not appreciating his good jokes and that was a rather bad one._

_"Yes, we could do that and send out a decree about it," Logan agreed. Thomas nodded. If Logan agreed that was good enough for him._

_"Very well, I think I'll call this meeting to adjourn. Logan, get working on that decreee please," Thomas told him to which Logan nodded. The others began to rise with Virgil getting up first and heading towards to door. As he reached the knob though Thomas' voice called out to him, "Virgil, I'd like if you came with Roman again next meeting."_

And the rest was history. While not very good at solving problems, Virgil was good at identifying them. It did infuriate the others especially Logan to no end when he would poke holes in their seemingly perfect plan but it was for the best. Still, his ways of always thinking on the down side and being catious of everything had led people to call him  **The Anxious Advisor** which actually didn't bother him all that much. Logan was  **The Logical Advisor** since he really was the epitome of logic. If it wasn't for Patton, Virgil would think he didn't have a heart. Patton was the group's heart, always thinking about everyone's feelings making him  **The Moral Advisor**. To Virgil's complete and utter lack of surprise, Roman became known as  **The Creative Advisor**. Roman had always been making up stories and fantasies with his way of thinking when they were young. Only now, his thoughts could actually become reality. That was a scary thought. 

Still, he didn't feel like he did anything. In honesty, he hadn't. Virgil pointed out problems that would have been seen later and he never really contributed to solving them. Virgil still felt this sense of uselessness and he was afraid that one day everyone else would too. Virgil dreaded the day that Roman realized how usless he was and just kicked him to the curb. 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan, Patton, and Thomas become aware of a dark presence growing in the kingdom.  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The overall plot is not mine. It comes from the amazing animatic [Ready As I'll Ever Be] by thepastelpeach on YouTube.I urge you to go watch it because it is super good. And yes the video is where this fanfiction will eventually get to.  
> Characters of Thomas, Roman, Patton, Virgil, Logan, and Deceit are not mine, they belong to Thomas Sanders

"Your Majesty, there's something else I didn't mention," Logan told Thomas once Virgil and Roman had left the room. Thomas glanced up, still not used to the Your Majesty stuff even after all these years. Well, perhaps he'd gotten used to it, but not from Logan who'd looked after him his entire life. 

"Should I call Virgil and Roman back in then?" Thomas asked, making a motion to get the always present guards to catch up to the pair. Logan shook his head though glancing over at Patton who was uncharacteristically serious. 

"We think it's best that this matter is discussed without Virgil and Roman," Logan said slowly as if trying to discern what to say. Thomas' expression morphed into one of confusion while Patton jumped in. 

"Not that we don't like Roman and Virgil!" Patton exclaimed quickly. "We love them! It's just that this situation doesn't seem to really...deal with their strengths. Virgil is very good at finding problems, but not at solving problems. And we've already got the problem here. And Roman..."

"Roman's usual approach to a problem is to swing a sword at it," Logan cut Patton off. "And while on occasions effective, we don't think this is one of those occasions."

Thomas considered it for a few seconds. He didn't like the idea of discussing anything with everyone, that included Virgil and Roman. They'd become like a family to him especially after he'd lost his parents. Logan and Patton were almost like substitute parents with Roman being the protecting older brother and Virgil being the baby of the family who everyone worried about. Altogether, he knew that they worked well together on figuring out the kingdom's problems. If they ever found out that Logan, Patton, and Thomas had talked about a big issue specifically without them, it would get ugly. Virgil would freak out silently inside while Roman would freak out loudly on the outside, they were complimentary that way. 

"Go on," Thomas said slowly. Logan nodded and used his quill to point at a certain spot on the map, a section of forest near to the castle. 

"A shadowy figure has been sighted there over the past few weeks. The guards who saw him figured it was harmless as he only seemed to be picking flowers. The man was left alone...until a guard saw him doing something to the flowers. He was changing red roses into black ones. Through magic," Logan said. 

The word magic left the room in silence. There had been no magic sighted anymore in over a century. Long gone were the tales of dragons, witches, and the cursed dragon witches. The only villains left nowadays were human beings themselves. Which is why if a human had somehow gotten control of magic, that was very bad indeed. Thomas could see how Logan would want to keep Virgil and Roman out of the loop. Roman would immediately want to send out guards to capture him or even go after the man himself. Virgil, on the other hand, would instantly become opposed to anything that would put anything in danger. There'd be hour-long discussions to take even the smallest risk, which could damage their new trade route. 

"Logan, I want you to do some research on what kind of magic we could be dealing with," Thomas said. Logan nodded and began to gather up his scrolls and quills, already forming several ideas on where to stop. "Patton, organize a few more watches to be done in the forest. Have those guards report directly to me, not Roman. If there are any more hints of magic, then we tell both Roman and Virgil." Both of them nodded and began to walk off towards the door. 

"And please don't make decisions on who's in the room when you report without consulting me next time," Thomas called after them. Logan muttered out an apology while Patton just gave him a big thumbs up. 

Thomas didn't leave like he had planned to do after the meeting was over. Originally he'd been going to go to his own private quarters, get ready for all of them to hangouts tonight, and read a new book he'd started called 'Steven Universe'. That was all thrown into chaos though by this news. The idea of magic scared him, shook Thomas to his bones. Whatever this strange mysterious figure was doing in the forest, it couldn't be anything good. Thomas sat at the table, staring off into space as he hoped and prayed that nothing would happen to any of his friends.


	4. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman meets a mysterious stranger in the woods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The overall plot is not mine. It comes from the amazing animatic [Ready As I'll Ever Be] by thepastelpeach on YouTube.I urge you to go watch it because it is super good. And yes the video is where this fanfiction will eventually get to.  
> Characters of Thomas, Roman, Patton, Virgil, Logan, and Deceit are not mine, they belong to Thomas Sanders

Roman enjoyed going out into the town. Most of the townsfolk waved at him, greeted him, or just generally smiled in his direction. If there was one thing Roman craved more than anything, it was people's love. Even though he'd never admit it to any of his friends, Roman still dreamed of becoming royalty, of having hundreds of people love him. Saying any of that out loud would sound like treason though. The only person who he could think would understand would be Virgil, but only because of their shared status of orphans. Even then though, Virgil seemed happy with only having a few friends. He'd never been one for social gatherings, not like Roman. Roman was the most social out of their entire group, even more than Thomas. There were always these moments at parties when he would see Thomas not really talking to much of anyone, but instead being aloof that a small bit of anger would rise up in his stomach. Thomas had dozens of people here who would jump at the chance to talk to him but instead, he stood to the side! Those thoughts were banished from his mind though, knowing that he must let the king do what he wanted. 

The blacksmith had Roman's order ready much to his pleasure. Roman took the sword with a smile, appreciating the craftsmanship. Before beginning his time with the guard, Roman had thought about becoming a blacksmith if only because of his love of weaponry. Virgil had always said that he would help Roman set up his shop, just so he didn't burn it down. After paying the man and thanking him several times, Roman set out for his next destination, the woods. 

The woods near Summerstall could be dark and dangerous if you didn't know your way around. Roman had practically grown up in the forest though as he and Virgil explored, climbed trees (Roman), and read underneath their branches (Virgil). It also had the most beautiful flowers Roman had ever seen. Flowers were a certain love of his which surprised most people though he didn't know why. He enjoyed the way the colors popped as well as the way flowers could be used in healing or dying remedies. He'd become very close to a certain purple flower that was the cause for his rather odd purple hair. 

A few months back, Patton had begun talking about ways they could bond together as if the five men didn't already spend almost every single waking moment with each other. They'd all agreed to an outing which ended up leading them to a new shop that had opened up in town which created special soaps out of flowers that could dye someone's hair that color. Quite predictably, Thomas, Roman, and Patton loved the idea while Logan and Virgil were more against than for it. Logan was convinced by reminding him that Thomas having a good emotional state could lead to better decisions while Virgil was given the choice to choose the color. He chose a rather nice shade of purple that was actually quite easy to find in the forest. Roman was always surprised when he saw his and Virgil's hair as his purple popped so much while Virgil's simply blended in with his dark attire. No one had attempted to wash it out yet though so that was good. 

The forest seemed slightly different as Roman made his way through. It was still the same in layout, Roman could find his way around just fine, but it almost seemed darker, creepier, in a way it hadn't before. It was odd, to say the least, but still, he trekked on. The Captain of the Royal Guard could not be warded off by creepy trees. Besides, he had an actual destination in mind instead of some mindless wandering. There was a pond in the middle of the forest that had the most beautiful red roses if you got to them in bloom. According to the book he'd sneakily looked at during the meeting, they were in bloom right now. All he needed to do was make a right here and there they'd be. 

That was the plan though that wasn't how it happened. When Roman entered the clearing he was surprised to find another person there, a black cloak wearing person. There was a hood over their head so other than cloaked, Roman didn't know how else to describe them. They were standing over a rose bush, looking down at the flowers. Roman took another step closer causing the person to turn around. The only thing Roman could see was a pair of yellow eyes, other than that, nothing. 

"Oh, your majesty. I've been expecting you," the man said in an almost slippery tone. Roman glanced behind him, expecting to see Thomas having followed him out. There was no one there though, just darkness. Roman looked back at the hooded man, thinking he'd probably been mistaken for Thomas. With the purple hair, the two could be confused. 

"Sorry, I'm not Thomas," Roman told him. He eyed the figure suspiciously, not having seen him around the town before. Strangers were a rarity as Summerstall was quite a far distance from any of the other kingdoms. 

"Of course not," the man said, walking forward slowly towards him. "You're Roman, the newest royal." 

Roman's hand went to his sword in preparation for a fight. Royal, what was he talking about? Before Roman could question him about it though, the man continued to speak. 

"You would make such a great king. You know what it's like to be nothing, to not be loved. If you were to become king, you'd make sure that everyone would be happy, that everyone would feel appreciated and loved," the man said, stopping only a few feet away from Roman. He could see the man's face more clearly now and what he saw caused Roman to take a step back. Half of the man's face was covered in greenish-yellowish scales that paired with the eyes, reminded Roman of a snake. 

"I can't be royalty," Roman told him, keeping his eyes on the stranger. His instincts were telling him to fight this man, to get rid of him because of his talk of practical treason. A small part of him whispered to stay though. The fact that he knew who Roman was wasn't surprising, but that he knew what Roman wanted, what he secretly had always wanted was troubling. "I'm not of noble blood. Besides, Thomas is king." 

The man smiled though it was more like a smirk and it made Roman's blood run cold. 

"You can be royal too, just like Thomas," the man told Roman. "Rule your own kingdom where everyone loves and admires you."

"I-I'll be prince then?" Roman asked against his better knowledge. What was he doing? This stranger was obviously dangerous and should be taken in for questioning, but still, what if he could make Roman royal, make him a king? Unlike before when he thought about the idea, Roman didn't instantly banish it from his head. 

"Your majesty, you will be _king_ ," the man said with the same wolf-like smirk from before. 

"I can't be king, that's Thomas' job. And Thomas is my friend," Roman said firmly, turning to leave. The man's sly voice drew Roman back in though with a few sentences. 

"Friends? Friends, who keep secrets, who lie? What a poor definition of friend."

Lies, secrets, what did he mean? Thomas would never lie to him, he wouldn't. And yet the seeds of doubt were already planted in his mind. Logan and Patton had stayed behind after the meeting...Could they have had a secret to tell Thomas but not the others? Was Virgil in on whatever it was? No, not Virgil.

"What do you mean?" Roman demanded, turning back around.

"I know that Thomas," he said Thomas' name like a curse word, "has been having secret meetings behind your back. I don't think he trusts you on a count of you being not from the castle..."

Roman felt like he'd been punched in the gut. Unknownest to the others, he'd always feared deep down that was how it would end. Logan and Patton had both been with Thomas since almost birth, their positions were self-assured. And Virgil, well Virgil didn't need to prove himself to anyone, he wasn't the one with the high profile job. Roman was the one who was constantly having to make sure he did everything right just to stay on the same level as everyone else. What if Thomas decided he wasn't worth it? 

"No, Thomas wouldn't have..." Roman trailed off, wanting to stay confident in his friend. 

"Roman, if you truly wish to be king, the king Summerstall deserves, simply hand these flowers out to everyone you meet," the man told him, pulling a dozen beautiful red roses seemingly out of nowhere. Roman looked at them, identifying them as the flowers he'd been looking to find. "The people will love you. A king needs loyal people," 

Roman accepted the flowers, looking at them carefully. This was ridiculous. What was he doing? This could count as treason. What was the harm though in passing out flowers? He didn't have to follow through on the royalty stuff, just pass out flowers. Roman sighed, his head so conflicted. He'd think about it, sleep on it. Passing out flowers wasn't treason and besides wouldn't it be better if the townsfolk liked him more? Then there was the whole Thomas thing...Could he have lied to Roman, kept things from it. Roman would wait it, see, hope and pray it wasn't true. 

When Roman looked up again, there was no one there as if the man had disappeared into thin air. A cold shiver went through his body and Roman turned to leave the dreaded clearing. His mind was heavy, but his heart was so much heavier. 


	5. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil is forced to interact with the others without Roman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The overall plot is not mine. It comes from the amazing animatic [Ready As I'll Ever Be] by thepastelpeach on YouTube.I urge you to go watch it because it is super good. And yes the video is where this fanfiction will eventually get to.  
> Characters of Thomas, Roman, Patton, Virgil, Logan, and Deceit are not mine, they belong to Thomas Sanders

Roman's walk back up to the castle was filled with lots of thinking. The roses in his arms seemed to get heavier and heavier as he approached the castle. He kept them sheltered carefully in his arms though wrapped up so as not to have anyone else see them. Despite the usual waves and smiles he got, Roman felt like there was a mark on him, a mark that would tell everyone what had happened in the forest. It was ridiculous, he knew that. But still, Roman was cautious as he made his way to the large front door of the castle.

The huge clock that sat in the entrance way alerted him to the fact that in an hour, he would be expected in one of the king's private chambers to meet and chat with Thomas and the others. It was one of the few informal meetings the small group of friends had managed to arrange in the past months so everyone was excited about it, even Logan who often hated those sort of things. Roman wasn't too sure about going now. His head was pounding almost as much as his heart which made it very hard to keep a calm expression. Besides, he didn't know whether he could sit there, talk, and eat without asking about the supposed meetings that Thomas had had without him. Even asking would be seen as disrespectful, but didn't Roman have a right to know? He was Captain of the Guard, for heaven's sake!

Maybe it would be best to skip tonight. He could simply lie and tell the others he wasn't feeling well. That wasn't exactly a lie, he didn't feel good right then. Roman would be leaving Virgil all by himself though...Virgil still wasn't the best around other people though he did seem the most comfortable with Logan, Patton, and Thomas. Could he really leave Virgil to sit in the corner alone? It would be fine...Virgil would be fine. He would have to be because Roman needed time to figure things out. 

Speak of the devil. When he turned the corner to head to his room, there Virgil was, hiding in the shadows. Others who saw him gave Virgil a nod or a smile which he would either ignore or grimace at. Once he saw Roman though, Virgil perked up, stepping out of his hiding spot with a small smile, the only kind of smile he was capable of. Roman's heartstrings tugged a bit as Virgil made his way towards him. 

"I see you got the flowers you were looking for," Virgil commented, noticing the bundle in his arms. Roman nodded but before he could say more, Virgil brought out a red cloth from his pocket. "Uh, I knew that you were, um, looking for that certain flower for the color...and I just thought that maybe you'd like a new sash...that's you know, the same uh, color." Virgil's pale skin was now the same color as the roses and the sash in his hand. Roman looked down at it for a few seconds before grinning. 

"Thanks Verge," he said, taking the sash in his other hand. How could Roman have ever thought that Virgil would hide anything from him? Virgil was his best friend, he'd never do that to him. Roman's smile faded slightly though as he thought about the other three though. What if they truly didn't trust him and Virgil due to them not being castle born? Could they really be keeping secrets? His head was too full of thoughts. 

"You okay Roman?" Virgil asked him, concerned as Roman put a hand to his pounding head. 

"I-I don't feel too good. Tell the others I won't be able to make it tonight," Roman said quickly before going into his room and slamming the door. 

 

Virgil watched Roman go into his room with a surprised and concerned expression. Roman lived for the group hangouts. They were the one time where there was no real pressure to be anything other than the incredible Roman. Virgil liked them well enough, but there was always still an edge for him. He didn't feel as if he completely fit in with the others. It was an odd feeling but one he felt like the other three felt as well. 

He started towards the castle's royal private quarters where the five of them usually met. It was odd, going there without Roman. Was he sick? Had something happened in the forest? Virgil should have gone and asked him, should have stood outside his door as stayed there until his question were answered. He hadn't though, because he didn't wanna push Roman too far. It was only a matter of time before Roman realized that he didn't need Virgil and then where would he be? 

Before knocking on the door, Virgil took a few deep breaths. He shouldn't be that nervous, but the encounter with Roman had kind of freaked him out a little bit. Virgil's nerves had been pretty high due to his plans to give Roman the new sash so now they were getting astronomically high. Not good. But he was ready as he'll ever be, so he knocked on the door. 

Patton answered with a bright smile and slightly askewed glasses. Virgil cocked an eyebrow up and glanced behind the smiling man to see Logan attempting to fix his usually very well kept hair. Whether this was a new development or something they had been hiding for a while, neither would surprise Virgil. You could cut the sexual tension between them with a knife sometimes. 

"Hey there kiddo! Thomas isn't here yet. Probably still reading that new book he got. Come on in though," Patton said, throwing the door open wide and allowing Virgil to step through. Virgil nodded, walking into the small living space. A fire roared in the fireplace and the table was full of snacks, wine, and a few old children's games that just had to be Patton's work. "Where's Roman?" 

"We don't go everywhere together, you know," Virgil told them, preferring to skip the reason for why he was not here. 

"Of course you do," Logan said, slightly confused at why Virgil would emit such a falsehood. "Since both coming to work here, you and Roman have only been separated due to work constrictions. Otherwise, you're together." 

"Like you and Patton?" Virgil asked, almost innocently but not quite. Logan cleared his throat as Patton went to clean up the situation. 

"It's alright as long as Roman isn't late," he said. "I've got new board games which means we won't be bored for long." 

"Actually...Roman's not coming," Virgil admitted. "He said, he's uh, not feeling well or something." 

"Well is he alright?" Patton asked, his almost fatherly sense of worry coming out. "Should we go check on him?" Logan seemed less concerned but was still listening to the conversation. Virgil shrugged, not sure whether Roman would exactly want them to go barging into his room.

"I think he'll be alright," Virgil said as Thomas came bursting into the room, panting. 

"Sorry-guys-I didn't mean to be late," he said, looking around the room at his friends. His brow furrowed as he saw the missing person. Before waiting for the question Logan supplied, "Roman's not feeling well." 

The rest of the night actually was pretty enjoyable much to Virgil's complete surprise. While he usually just sat in the corner, listening to the others and supplying his own occasional dry remark, without Roman he was forced to actually engage in the conversation. They talked about the new carnival coming into the kingdom, the rumors going around the castle, the joust going on next month. Virgil had always liked the hangouts with the others, mostly because of Roman, but he now found himself actively enjoying them and feeling like part of the group. It was amazing. Despite his happiness though, there was something missing. A loud, talkative, creative, excited, handsome, brave, annoying something.

Even with his new participation, Virgil missed Roman, wanted him here, wanted to hear his thoughts on whether the butler and maid were really together, on how amazing Roman would do at the joust. It was an odd sensation, one that he had never experienced before. Probably because as much as he would want to deny it, him and Roman had never really been apart for social events like these. Next time, Roman would be here though and everything would be better. After all, nothing on Earth could change the five friend's relationship. 


End file.
